Reviews by Matt

I have had a very lucky year (or at least a lucky few months) in terms of movies. When the Oscar nominations were announced last week, I had seen seven of the 10 best picture contenders. My roommate had “Winter’s Bone” so I watched that, bringing my total to eight. That Thursday I made it nine by going to see “The Fighter.” That left one movie on my list-“Black Swan.” So instead of watching the snooze-fest that is the NFL Pro Bowl, I decided to bring my total to 100 percent and cross “Black Swan” off my list.

Nina (Natalie Portman) is a ballerina who strives for perfection. She lives with her overbearing mother (Barbra Hershey) who does all she can to control her daughter. When Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) casts her as the swan queen in his new version of Swan Lake, Nina starts to spiral down into madness. As she tries to embody both the white and back swan, she becomes paranoid that Lilly (Mila Kunis) is vying for her spot in the ballet company and begins to lose sense to reality.

I was tired when this movie was over. Physically and mentally tired. All I wanted to do was crawl into bed and pray this movie did not make its way into my dreams. As much as I loved this movie and want to see it again, I was tired when those credits rolled. The key to this movie is not just the amazing performance from Portman, but that the movie keeps you as unbalanced as Nina is. There are times when you have no idea what is real and what is in Nina’s head. The way things are shot and edited, keeps the viewer off kilter for 95 percent of the movie.

If Portman does not win the best actress Oscar for this role, it will be a travesty. She has, by far, the most difficult role. Nina is weak. Leroy tells her she is perfect for the white swan, but lacks the seduction and passion required to dance the black swan. She pushes herself to become the back swan, but is so closed off and afraid to open up that she never really dances it to his liking. As she tries to become the black swan, she descends further and further into madness. This is where Portman really shines. Nina is not out and out crazy, she has these moments where her reality is skewed. As the movie progresses, she becomes more and more unsure of herself and if what she is experiencing is real.

I must warn you that this movie is not for everybody. When I saw “Rabbit Hole,” the theater next to us was playing “Black Swan” and they both got out at the same time. A college student coming out of that theater said to one of her friends “That was so weird.” I think this is how most who see it will think of it. Yes, there are some weird points, but it is supposed to be and that is why it works so well. If you see it, be prepared and do not write it off because it is “weird.”

9 out of 10
Rated R for strong sexual content, disturbing violent images, language and some drug use
108 min